Ma Courageuse Petite Mellorine
by Sketcher1994
Summary: Sanji stared up at the stars and sighed, wishing that just once she'd take what he said seriously. He'd been brought up to be a gentleman to ladies, but never had he been able to persuade her that that was not what was happening between them. He didn't even need to be told by Luffy to rescue her – he'd protect her with his life. (Title: My Strong Little Mellorine – it's a Sanami!)


**An: One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda ^_^**

**Ok, here's my first attempt at writing a Sanami, hope you like it! ^_^**

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Sanji stared up at the stars, unaware of the eye settled on the back of his head. He sighed, wishing that just once she'd take what he said seriously. He'd been brought up to be a gentleman to ladies, but never had he been able to persuade her that that was not what was happening between them. She thought he was just treating her like every other woman. He didn't even need to be told by Luffy to rescue her, he'd rescue any woman, but he'd rescue her before anything happened to her if he could. He'd protect her with his life.

His gaze fell from the stars onto the woman who sparkled as she laughed with the rest of the crew, her cheeks starting to become rosy from the alcohol. He didn't need anyone else to understand him, just her. He wanted her to know who he really was. He wasn't just some womanising cook, but then again, she already understood that. She knew him, but she still didn't understand how he felt, not about her. He had to make her see, see him, all of him, how he really felt. She wasn't just any beautiful woman – she was strong, and so _different_.

She pushed all of them around, shouted at all of them – even Luffy and Marimo – but she still cared so much about the people around her. He'd seen the way she'd been with the children at Punk Hazard. Her feelings had been so strong, Sanji could have felt them miles away. She was Nami-swan, the beautiful young girl who'd come back an amazing young woman. He'd missed her so much over those two years trapped on that shitty island, but his excitement to see everyone must have made her think that she wasn't special to him, and maybe even his special treatment of Robin-chwan hurt her. He thought she understood that that was just a part of who he was, but nothing compared to how he felt about her.

He felt someone watching him and turned, wondering who'd be paying attention to him while Luffy was goofing off – it wasn't as if he was serving food at that moment. His eyes met the single eye watching him. Sanji watched as Zoro walked calmly onto the upper deck, leaving the party behind him. Sanji looked around him, checking everyone else was present. He grinned back at Robin as she smiled in his direction. It was just a part of who he was, and it was Robin-chwan, his Nakama. She nodded at him and started talking to Nami, Sanji realising that she was trying to help him.

He slipped off into the dark, following after Zoro.

He leaned his back against the banister, facing towards the other side of the ship, an unlit cigarette between his lips. He leant his head forward, capturing the end of the cigarette with the flame of his lighter, his other hand shielding the glowing ember from the breeze. He took a drag and leant his head back, his weight resting on his elbows where they now found themselves resting on the banister. He glanced sideways at the green haired swordsman standing next to him looking out at the sea, wondering what he wanted to say. It wasn't often that Zoro took him away from the rest of the crew like this, unless he needed some advice or had a lecture planned. Sanji eyed him suspiciously, expecting a quiet lecture considering things between Zoro and Robin seemed to be going well now that they'd left Law behind with his own crew.

"She'll notice if you keep acting like that."

A lecture.

"Yeah? And the problem with her noticing is? I want her to notice me, Marimo," Sanji sighed, moving to take another draw of his cigarette.

"You want her to notice the weird look in your eyes as you stare up at the sky?" Zoro asked quizzically.

"Eh?" Sanji replied, completely confused.

"She'll think you want to leave if you keep doing that every time there's a clear night – you look like you're searching for something, Shitty-Cook," Zoro stated, turning to face Sanji, "are you?"

"Of course I am! I need a way to help her to understand, Shitty-Swordsman!" Sanji exclaimed, his laidback posture changing to a stiff upright one as he stood glaring back at Zoro.

"Then take your own damn advice, Spiral-Brow!" Zoro yelled, neither aware of the silence that had fallen on the rest of the crew below them, "it's working for me – why wouldn't it work for you!?"

"Why?! Because Nami-swan isn't Robin-chwan! If you don't get that, you obviously don't even deserve Robin-chwan!" Sanji shouted, an orange aura glowing around him.

"I know that, Shitty-Cook! I wouldn't be with her if she was that witch!" Zoro bellowed, a large blue aura surrounding him as his hands met with the hilts of two of his katanas.

"Take that back, bastard! Nami-swan isn't a witch! She's Nami-swan – beautiful, and perfect and strong! She cares about everyone, unlike a stupid, shitty Marimo like you!" Roared Sanji, his leg now on fire as they stared each other down.

Two fists came down on the top of their heads to the sound of Luffy's laughter. Sanji and Zoro clutched at the growing bumps on their heads as they turned to face their attacker, Zoro with a glare and Sanji looking like a deer caught in headlights. Their eyes met with an irate Nami, her clenched fists falling from above her head to the top of her jeans, resting on her hips. They were in trouble. Neither was sure how much the rest of the crew had heard, but Nami did not look happy – Luffy on the other hand seemed to find angry Nami hilarious, earning himself a lump on his head for laughing at such a serious matter.

"Calling each other names again, are we?" Her cold stare fell on Sanji and he looked away from her gaze – that was all she'd picked up out of their argument.

"And? We can argue if we want." Zoro stated, glaring at Nami as he rubbed his head.

"Everyone else was having fun, and the two of you snuck off to argue!? If it wasn't for _what_ you'd shouted, I'd have thought the two of you were having 'marital issues', Zoro." Nami declared, staring back at him.

"We're not married!" The two simultaneous yelled, Sanji regretting shouting at Nami, but it had been a reflex – they seriously need to get it into everyone's heads that he and Marimo weren't like that.

"True, but Zoro, what's this about you being with Robin?" Nami asked, a menacing glint in her eyes.

"Zoro-san is with me in thinking the crew should appreciate Sanji-san's cooking more – we often take him for granted, Nami-san." Robin answered, Zoro not daring to breathe as the two women faced each other.

"So, you think we take Sanji-kun for granted, do you Zoro?" She asked, not glancing over her shoulder, "and you only agree with Robin about that because she's not 'that witch', am I correct? Can I just ask, Zoro, who is the witch?" Nami finished, a bright yellow aura around her as she turned around and glared at Zoro.

"Nami-san, you do have a habit of shouting at Zoro-san and hitting him – he can't exactly hit you back without upsetting the crew, so it's only natural for him to be upset with you, don't you think?" Robin asked, stepping forward with a smile across her lips, making Zoro glad she was on his side.

"Fine, but you seem to like defending him, Robin," Nami replied, turning to look back at Robin suspiciously.

"Of course, Nami-san – it takes two to be in a romantic relationship, does it not?" Robin asked, her icy blue eyes making contact with Nami's.

"Sorry Robin! I didn't mean to upset you!" Nami exclaimed, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly, a nervous smile on her face, "how about we all return to the lawn deck?!"

Sanji stood next to Zoro, the two of them leaning against the wall outside the kitchen, the rest of the crew already asleep. He sighed heavily before taking another draw of his cigarette. He glanced over to Zoro, standing silently with his eye closed. He'd tried to help him before, but the two of them had ended up arguing. He should have known not to follow Zoro while the crew was still walking around. They always ended up more agitated when they had to keep listening for any of the others approaching. The others couldn't see them talking like this – they'd be even worse with the 'married couple' jokes.

"Robin-chwan really saved you back there," he started, watching the smoke rise from the end of his cigarette as he walked forward to lean on the railing, "that was pretty clever with the 'takes two to make a romantic relationship'. Nami assumed that she'd been insulted by her suggestion that she'd be seeing you behind everyone's backs, when really she was saying that she was defending you because she was the other half of the relationship."

"You're an idiot, Ero-Cook," Zoro sighed, his eye still closed, "you should have went to her when we were back on the lawn deck – there was no way she didn't hear what you'd said about her."

"Of course I didn't, Marimo," he sighed, turning his head to look over his shoulder at Zoro, "she heard me but she thinks I was just being a gentleman and defending her honour."

"Weren't you?" Zoro asked, smirking at Sanji as he opened his eye.

"Of course I wasn't! I love her, Marimo! Of course I'd defend her!" Sanji exclaimed, anger and passion shining in his eyes as he glared back at Zoro.

"_I_ know that, Ero-Cook – go tell _her_ that!" Zoro laughed, his smirk changing to a cheesy grin.

"Zoro-kun?" The two men turned to look at the woman's torso appearing out of the floor, Sanji blushing while Zoro tried to look serious again.

"Coming Robin, just trying to talk some sense into Ero-Cook," he replied, the faint hint of the grin flickering at the sides of his mouth as he spoke, "Nami should be alone – I'll be in the crow's nest if you need me. Just remember to knock, or you'll find you'll need more blood than Chopper can find – I'll make sure of that."

"That almost sounds like an invite to join the two of you Marimo-_kun_!" Sanji teased, smiling gentlemanly at Robin's disappearing torso.

"I meant with my katanas, Shitty-Cook!" Zoro shouted as Sanji waved off the insult, walking casually in the direction of the women's bedroom.

Sanji slipped into the dark room, careful not to make a sound as he shut the door. He glanced over at Robin's bed, checking it was indeed empty, before creeping over to Nami's bed. He sat on the edge, the moonlight filtering in the window falling lazily on her orange hair. He gently brushed a delicate strand behind her ear, casting a shadow over her face as he momentarily blocked the moonlight. He sighed, wondering if he'd ever get a chance to successfully woo her. That was what he wanted to do – he wanted to make her love him as she'd made him love her. He leant over and kissed her forehead, the end of her clima tact forcefully coming into contact with his stomach as he did so.

"Sanji-kun?!" Nami exclaimed as he collapsed onto her, clutching his stomach.

"Nami-swan," he whimpered in pain, regretting deciding to kiss her forehead.

"I'm sorry! Are you ok?! What were you doing?!" She rushed, her face filled with concern before anger raged throughout her, "SANJI! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO PEEP ON ME AND ROBIN!"

"Robin-chwan? Robin-chwan isn't here – she's in the crow's nest with Marimo...?" Sanji flinched as he realised what he'd said. Marimo was going to kill him. "She, em, went up there to let me speak to you alone, Nami-swan...?" It wasn't a lie.

"Why? What did you want to talk about in the middle of the night?! Couldn't it wait until morning?" Nami sighed, turning back over to go back to sleep.

"I can't wait any longer Nami-swan. I'll wait forever, but I can't wait any longer to tell you the truth." Sanji declared, pulling himself off of Nami, not looking at her, his face cloaked in shadows.

"Sanji?" Sanji looked up at her, looking into her eyes as she sat up in bed, her beautiful long orange hair falling around her shoulders and down her back, framing her beautifully.

"Despite everything you say, I know you understand me. You know that I've been brought up to be a gentleman to all ladies, but you also know that not all ladies get the same treatment from me, Nami-swan." He began, staring into her eyes, a determined look in his own, "I'm just waiting for you to tell me I'm not wrong, Nami-swan. I want to be the one to hold you. I want to always be the one that you turn to. I know why you like to sleep with the moonlight on your beautiful face, but I want you to know that you'll never be alone – I'm never leaving you, Nami-swan."

Sanji pulled himself back up, positioning himself by her hand, taking it in his.

"You shine brighter than the stars when you're laughing with everyone. You're beautiful, strong and caring – I seen you with those children at Punk Hazard, we all did. You can't keep trying to make us think you don't care, Nami-swan – we all know it's not true, I know it's not true. Stop trying to protect yourself, we're all here and we're not going anywhere. I'll never leave you, Nami-swan. I'll always be near you, even if you keep pushing me away, you're _my_ Mellorine." He finished quietly, staring into her beautiful brown eyes.

"Sanji-kun..." Nami uttered quietly into the silent night, staring back at him, a tear gliding down her cheek.

"Don't cry, my little Mellorine," he whispered into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her, the two of them sitting quietly in the dark, the moon their only source of light, "I'll protect you, my precious Mellorine. I'll stay with you." He cooed, kissing her forehead gently, "I love you, Nami-san."

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**Hope you enjoyed this! ^_^ ****Now that I know what Mellorine is, I really want some! XD ...lactose intolerant...it sounds nice 0:)**

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**Today:**

**_'Ma Forte Peu Mellorine' – One Piece (Sanami)_**

_** 'The Twisting String that is Fate' Ch2 – One Piece (Zorobin)**_

**Tuesday:**

**_'The Twisting String that is Fate' Ch3 – One Piece (Zorobin)_**

_** 'His Sixth Year Crush' Ch1 – One Piece (Zorobin)**_

**Friday:**

**_'Conceit and Crudity' Ch3 – Fairy Tail (GaLe/Gajevy + others)_**

**Sunday:**

**_'Dishes' – One Piece (Zosan)_**


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